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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mine — for digging
  3. firm — decided
  4. tube — a container
  5. staff — a stick
  6. kid — child
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. firm — a company
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. scale — in music
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. tube — the underground
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. scale — size or range
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. firm — steady
  18. staff — employees
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. kid — to tease
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com